L’association Vacances & Familles en Charente-Maritime is desperately seeking volunteers to strengthen its team

IN BRIEF Vacances & Familles in Charente-Maritime is looking for volunteers. Currently, the association has two employees and eight volunteers. Objective: to support disadvantaged families in going on vacation. In 2024, 165 people from Charente-Maritime benefited from vacations. The role of volunteers: to welcome and support families. Concern: rejecting projects due to a lack of volunteers. Recruitment for all profiles and occasional availability accepted.

In the face of growing demand, the Vacances & Familles association in Charente-Maritime finds itself in a delicate situation. With only eight volunteers for two employees, the capacity to welcome and organize vacation departures for disadvantaged families is being put to the test. The association’s leaders are raising awareness about the need to attract new volunteers in order to provide effective support to families who need help to go on vacation.

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An urgent need for reinforcement #

Floriane Bobin and Francelise Laventure, respectively an employee and assistant secretary of the Charente-Maritime branch of the association, do not hide their concern. There is a lack of volunteers in the association is their bitter observation. Francelise does not lack humor, noting: “About twenty would be a good start”, but she knows that behind this statement lies a real need. With only eight volunteers, it is becoming difficult to efficiently organize activities in such a large department as Charente-Maritime.

Accessible vacations for everyone #

The role of the Vacances & Familles association is clear: to support disadvantaged and single-parent families in their vacation plans at affordable prices. In 2024, the association managed to organize the departures of 165 people and welcomed 110 families in the area. These figures testify to the positive impact of the association, but this requires more hands to orchestrate the departures, receptions, and overall logistics.

An essential mission to uphold #

Volunteering takes on full importance in this structure. The role of volunteers is to assist with departures, welcome upon arrival, and help with shopping when families lack transportation. The association’s leaders emphasize that they are looking for all profiles. “It’s not necessary to be present all the time, it can just be occasionally”, specifies Francelise Laventure. Every minute of volunteering counts and can change a family’s life.

The desire to break isolation #

Floriane Bobin shares a personal experience that strengthens her commitment. “I had just separated from the father of my five children. I went to Aveyron for my first vacation alone with my children”, she remembers. This experience allowed her to reconnect with herself and discover new abilities. In France, nearly 2 million people have never had the chance to go on vacation, an alarming figure that proves these vacations are not simply a luxury, but a fundamental right for all.

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A fear for the future #

The concerns of Floriane and Francelise are clear: refusing projects from certain families due to a lack of volunteers is not an acceptable option. The possibility of not being able to welcome or accompany families on their departures is a real issue for the association. Therefore, reinforcing the volunteer team is essential to continue serving these families and providing them with precious moments of escape and happiness.

For those who wish to make a difference and join the team, it is possible to become a volunteer by contacting the association at the following address: [email protected].